Uber Elevate: Feasibility and Challenges of Air Taxi Services in Australia

Running head: UBER ELEVATE 1
Uber Elevate
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Abstract
UBER intents to expand its market by venturing into the aviation sector. It will provide
air taxi services across Australia. Uber has partnered with SCentre Group, Melbourne Airport
Macquarie, and Telstra to establish necessary infrastructure and telecommunication required to
operate successfully (Cidell, 2014). Uber plans by 2023 to have affordable flights. It will closely
work with local and federal policymakers to provide aerial services which are quiet, safe and
environmentally friendly and extends beyond the current transportation system. The management
has convened leader across all sectors and government including manufacturers, operators,
investors, regulators, policy males and manufacture to build and begin urban aviation by next
year.
There are many constrain associated with entry into new market. Uber faces safety issue
such as harm and ability to retain customer, high investment in technologies whose returns are
not certain (Department of Infrastructure and Transport 2019). The company may fail to
successfully develop and commercial vehicle technologies. Further the firm may be blocked
from accessing certain jurisdiction. The company operates and workers have grown significantly
and they expect similar trend. In case their growth is not considered, the company future may be
adversely affected.
The project is feasible and can be implemented in Australia due to easier and flexible
state regulations. With collaboration with Google Company which will able to provide GPS and
google location service will further underpin use of drones which required no pilots. They use
electricity and controlled by the computer which makes it easy for the system to be used in
commercial markets.

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UBER ELEVATE
INTRODUCTION
Uber air taxi services is magnificent project whose initial stage is planned to start in 2020
in various city and launch actual operation by 2023. Air taxi services is untapped field which can
possibly generate economic profits. People as yet to tap it because it is capital intensive and there
are numerous challenges with the project. However, there is feasible plan which proposal suggest
which will be able to cushion challenges at their onset therefore allowing successful completion
of the project. Furthermore, partnering with various aviation industry will help leverage cost,
provide our air taxi service at affordable rate and being able to get a high return. Consequently. It
will be worth for Department of Infrastructure and Transport to finance the project.
Reasons why the project need to be done
Many hours are wasted traveling with roads thus reducing productivity. Aviation will
substantially improve urban mobility enabling people to save time. Air taxi looks forward to
grappling the pain caused by congestion, delays and long distances. This is done according to
company’s mission and commitment to consumer rider base. It will use three-dimensional
airspace to solve ground transport congestion (Uber, 2019). An electric aircraft vee-tol, and
VTOL which will be fast and reliable within cities and its suburbs.
The development of this system will support urban VTOL network which will have more
cost advantage as compared to heavy infrastructures like railway, tunnels, bridges, and roads.
There is a proposal that existing helipads, parking garage and unused land in highway could be
used as a distributed network of single aircraft or VTOL (Johnson, Silva, & Solis, 2018). As

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tradition infrastructure continues to rise, increase flexibility and lower cost provide a compelling
option for Department of Infrastructure and Transport to accept Uber elevate project.
Moreover, VTOLs does not have fixed route to follow. Buses, cars, and trains all have
limited number of fixed routs exposing individual to delay when the interruption is experienced.
By contrast, VTOLs move does not follow specific path and move towards a certain destination
independently making congestion less frequent.
Aircraft to use electricity-producing zero emissions, and operate quietly with no
disturbance. Noise from the electric vehicle at flying altitude will hardly be audible. Even during
landing and takeoff, the noise will be compatible with background noises (Shaheen, Cohen, &
Farrar, 2018). As compared to present helicopters, it makes VTOL markedly safer (Johnson,
Silva, & Solis, 2018). Importantly, it will be programmed system thus eliminating operating
errors.
Constraints
The certification process is not as easy as the company has to meet all the aviation
authority regulations. VTOLs are new from the regulatory environment and certification of
aircraft certification has been slow from the past. But the company is optimistic that clear will be
hastened.
Battery technology is the main source of power and it normally suitable for a short
distance. This limits the distance covered for VTOLS (Zhang, & Wang, Y2017). Furthermore,
charging time is needed for batteries hence there shall be operation idleness for some time.